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Demolition on the Anthony’s Restaurant property on Ohio River Boulevard in Avalon began last week to make way for several new businesses. The Anthony’s building housed several enterprises over the years, including a restauarant/lounge and a barbershop.While the restaurant has closed, the barbershop has moved to Forest Avenue in Bellevue. The new building that soon wuill be under construction will feature a Dunkin’ Donuts store with a drive-through, as well as three other commercial spaces.

They weren’t exactly wearing Easter bonnets -- more like earmuffs and mittens -- but dozens of children in Avalon and Bellevue didn’t let frigid temperatures stop them from hunting down Easter eggs last Saturday. Pictured here, the kids at Avalon’s festivities traded in their eggs for prizes from borough manager Harry Dilmore, council member Vicki Donnelly and volunteer Chris Dilmore. Although the egg hunt was held in the California Avenue park, the other planned activities were moved to a warmer location inside the borough hall.

Baseball and softball seasons have gotten off to a slow start, thanks to lingering winter weather, but the Antelopes managed to get in a game this past week. Pictured here, Avonworth’s Eric Lippert scores during the Antelopes’ 10-0 victory over Quigley.

They graduated from Avonworth High School 33 years apart, Tim Hartman in 1977, Andrea Weinzierl in 2010. But in the anything-goes world of theater, they were paired as siblings in last month’s “The Little Mermaid” and now as a budding romantic couple in the Mel Brooks musical comedy “Young Frankenstein,” Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s current production.

Hartman plays The Monster, with Weinzierl cast as Elizabeth, who by show’s end has transformed into the bride character from the 1935 film, “The Bride of Frankenstein.” All very Mel Brooks, to be sure.

Northgate's annual “Arts Odyssey" will be held next Friday, Feb. 27, 4:30-8 p.m. at the middle and senior high school. Described by assistant to the superintendent Francesca Lattari as "…an evening of free fun and entertainment for the family," the Odyssey will feature artwork, band and choral performances showcasing elementary, middle and high school talent, industrial arts projects and a theatrical performance that will offer a preview of the spring musical, "Mary Poppins" in the high school auditorium following an address there by superintendent, Dr. Joseph Pasquerilla at 6:30.

Avonworth and Northgate students joined up last week for an evening of friendly athletic competition that supported a good cause by raising more than $400 for Breastcancer.org, a fund devoted to beating the disease.

Each team consisted of five players who worked their ways through the brackets, boys against girls, boys against boys, until a Northgate team emerged as the overall winner of the tournament, pictured below

Organized by Avonworth senior Jay Knable as his senior project, the event was the second tournament, with $710 raised in all.

Just because it’s the dead of winter doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a movie at the drive-in. You just have to follow the lead of a group of local children who created their own drive-in theater, complete with their own vehicles, at Bayne Library in Bellevue last Saturday. Aiden Russell, 7, of Brighton Heights, decided that his vehicle was going to be a monster truck, “Autobot.” After building their vehicles, the kids enjoyed snacks and a movie.

Avonworth boys’ basketball got back in the win column Tuesday night with a 78-69 victory in an away contest against South Side Beaver. Pictured here, senior Josh Drwal drives in to score in the fourth period, ending the night with 20 points, followed by Adam Joyce with 16. In the first meeting of the teams this season, Avonworth rolled to a relatively easy 82-59 win. Head coach Dan Bradley took the tighter contest in stride. “South Side Beaver is a tough place to play.

Did you ever wonder how they get Christmas trees all wrapped up in the netting that protects them until you get them into your home? Pictured above, members of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Company package a tree on its way to a local home. The firefighters are selling Christmas trees to raise money, and have a wide variety of types and sizes in the lot across from the fire hall on New Brighton Road. The lot is open weekday evenings and all day on Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 24. Delivery to North Boroughs homes is available for free or a nominal charge.

Students at Bellevue Elementary School welcomed area veterans for a special program in their honor on Tuesday, Veterans Day. The children sang songs and recited poetry thanking the veterans for the military service to the country. The program was held in lieu of the borough’s traditional ceremony in Bayne Park.

Area first responders staged a mock crash at Northgate High School Tuesday in an effort to show students what can happen when they drink and drive. With the prom and graduation seasons approaching, Bellevue police and fire departments, NorthWest EMS, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office and LifeFlight brought the lesson home in a scene that had a student “dying” after going through the windshield, another trapped in a vehicle, and yet another under “arrest.” Bellevue volunteer firefighter Bill Turkovich organized the event.

The Bellevue Avalon Girls Athletic Association dedicated its opening day to Bob Loch, one of the league’s founders and the man who led the organization to reclaim a borough dump and turn it into an athletic field that has hosted thousands of girls over the past three decades. Pictured above, Loch threw out the ceremonial first pitch to kick off a new season for BAGAA. He was presented with a proclamation by former state representative David Mayernik, who helped secure grant funding for the project.

The owners of Sunny Jim’s Tavern on Camp Horne Road in Kilbuck Township are sporting less hair than usual, as are many of their customers. Pictured at left, owners Jim Oliver and Mike Stachel led a group of 50 volunteers -- including three women -- who had their heads shaved last Saturday to raise funds for St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which funds pediatric cancer research. This is the second year that Sunny Jim’s has hosted the fund-raising event. Donations are expected to exceed $5,000 this year.

Northgate Middle-High School will stage what has come to be called the All-American musical, "Oklahoma!" as this year's spring production, with a staff/senior citizen preview at 6 p.m. this evening, and with opening night Saturday, March 22. Additional performances are scheduled for Friday, March 28, and Saturday, March 29, all with a 7:30 p.m. curtain time, and a children's show, which has "special" activities, beginning at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 27.

The Assumption Theater Guild will present the musical, “Children of Eden” at 7 p.m. on Saturdays, March 22 and 29, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. on March 23 and 30. Pictured above from left are: Dan DeLuca (Adam/Noah), Thomas Kurt Fuchel, Sr. (Father() and Casey Duffy(Eve/ Mama Noah). The production will be staged in McGovern Hall, located on the lower level of the Church of the Assumption, with access at 45 N. Sprague Ave.,and ADA access on North Jackson Avenue. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older and for children 11 and under.

There probably were a few people who walked into the gym at Avonworth High School last Friday night thinking that there was some way a struggling Northgate boys’ basketball team would defeat crosstown rival Avonworth, with its undefeated section record. But most people took for granted that this would be the year that Avonworth swept the season. Fortunately for Northgate, the Flames team had no such doubts, and dealt the Antelopes a loss that was hard to swallow. The Flames scored 43 points in the second half to hand the Antelopes their first section loss this year.

Unless you have a plane ticket to Australia, there’s no way you’re going to beat sub-zero temperatures and piles of snow, so you might as well find a way to enjoy them, like these Avonworth students did last week. Pictured above, Emily Grambo, John Grambo, Michael Grande, Natalie Malloy, and Kevin Simpson took time out from Avonworth Ski Club’s first trip of the season to catch up on news in “The Citizen.” The “Sochi Wannabes” braved sub-sub-zero temperatures last weekend at Peek ‘n Peak resort in New York State, with another trip planned to Snowshoe, WV, in late February.

The Avonworth boys’ basketball team is proving itself to be the one to beat, as the Antelopes are in first place in their section, and taking out their opponents right and left as the season hits the midpoint. Pictured at left, Eric Gallupe (No. 31, red) is unstoppable during the team’s visit to Northgate Tuesday night.

Avalon Council gained some new members and new officers at its reorganization meeting Monday evening.

Taking the oath of office were new members Lee Nelson, William Pascale and Ryan Neal, who were joined by re-elected members Tom Lloyd and John Vetterly, and tax collector Ed Klicker. Pictured above being sworn in by solicitor Megan Ott are, from left, Neal, Nelson, Vetterly, Pascale, Lloyd and Ed Klicker.

Among the many notable anniversaries celebrated in 2013, there is one in particular that is an example of what North Boroughs residents can build and maintain when they put their hearts into it. The Avalon Volunteer Fire Company’s women’s auxiliary celebrated 40 years of service not only to Avalon firefighters, but to firefighters from throughout the North Boroughs. Whether they are raising funds, handing out cold towels to firefighters in the summer or delivering hot drinks in the winter, these ladies (pictured below) never fail to answer the call when there is a fire in the North Boroughs.

Watch very, very closely and you just might catch Avonworth cheerleaders Kelly Evans and Natalie Malloy, pictured here from left, stepping off with thousands of band members and celebrity performers, all mixed in with floats and balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade that has come to mark the unofficial kick-off of the holiday season. Participation in the parade, 9 a.m.-noon, was open to all senior cheerleaders, who learned at summer cheerleading camp of the opportunity offered through "Spirit of America Productions," the group with whom they will be marching.